A Lesson
by Nevah
Summary: Duo imparts some wisdom to a fellow pilot in need...


Lots of 3+4 (and 2+4?) silliness follows. There, you have been officially warned.

And no, I don't own gw or any characters but you probably already knew that, didn't you.

~*~

A Lesson

Trowa smiled slightly as he sped down the highway toward the safehouse. He would be home soon, warm and content, and ready to spend the rest of the evening with Quatre. Of course, the small blonde boy had no idea that his banged comrade was racing home just to see him; that was the way Trowa wanted it--for now. He'd been agonizing for weeks about this attraction to his fellow pilot, and he still had no idea what he was going to do about it. He was terrified that anything, even the slightest hint of his feelings, would disgust Quatre, and then he would be out a friend as well as perhaps something more. He just couldn't stand the thought of those sparkling aquamarine eyes looking on him with anything resembling displeasure, and so he took the liberties his body ached for only in his mind. His heart wouldn't hold up if he lost his beautiful angel, of that much he was sure.

He parked his motorcycle outside, and let himself silently into the house. He shivered at the temperature shift of the cold, icy air outside to the enveloping warmth indoors, and he smiled again at the thought that he would be even warmer once he found Quatre. The blonde's presence alone made Trowa tingle from gut to fingertips, and he simply couldn't get enough of the feeling. It felt like the shots of tequila Duo had once prompted them all to drink; although he never admitted it, he'd been flushed and lightheaded for hours.

As he maneuvered around in the dark, Trowa heard soft, sweet, Quatre-like music drifting out from underneath the door of the bedroom he shared with his unrequited love interest. That was yet another detail that made the whole situation such torture: he could hardly sleep at night, knowing that Quatre was resting so innocently under his thin sheets, only a few feet away. He breathed deeply, trying to pull his mind away from the places it so readily drifted when he wasn't maintaining a constant vigil. He would never be able to face the small pilot's sharp emotional radar if he didn't get a hold of himself.

Trowa swung the door open swiftly, sweeping the room with his eyes as he stepped inside. Before his mind could even form a coherent thought, however, he felt his jaw slacken a touch and his feet slide backwards across the floor as he absorbed the scene in front of him. Quatre, his sweet Quatre, was seated neatly atop the foot of his tall, fluffy bed, and Duo stood in front of him, cupping his delicate face with both hands, kissing him gently. Trowa had one stunned moment to watch as Duo slid his fingers back through Quatre's soft hair, pulling the blonde closer, and deepening the kiss considerably. Of all the horrible, sickening, gut-wrenching things he'd seen in his life, he was quite sure this was the worst. 

The pair must have heard Trowa's shoes against the wood of the floor, because Duo suddenly pulled away and two heads jerked guiltily in his direction.

"Sorry," Trowa called to them in his usual flat tone, trying not to sound strangled as he backed out of the room and began to pull the door closed. Be cool, he kept repeating silently to himself, be cool.

"Trowa! Wait!" he heard Quatre shout urgently, in unison with Duo's "Hey! T-man! Don't get the wrong idea here!"

Nothing they could have said would have stopped him, however; he just wanted to get out of there. He had no idea where to go or what to do, but it didn't matter. He had considered what he was sure was every possible awful outcome of his affections for Quatre, but he never in a million years could have dreamed up this. Now not only would he never have his love, but he never even had the chance of winning him. 

***

"Hey Quatre, what's eatin' ya? You're lookin' a little pale over there." Duo swung an arm playfully around Quatre's small shoulders, grinning mischievously at him. When the blonde's only response was a pair of shiny eyes and a halfhearted smile, Duo slugged him hard on the shoulder. "Well?"

Quatre sighed. There /was/ something wrong, if he was being truthful, but he just couldn't help wondering if it was wise to confide in Duo what he was feeling. The braided pilot was a loyal friend, but Quatre knew how hard it was for him to keep his mouth shut sometimes

"One more chance, blondie, then I'm just gonna have to beat it out of you!" Duo's arm tightened around Quatre as he spoke, as if to drive his point home. 

Quatre sighed again, blinking up into Duo's violet-blue eyes. "I don't know, Duo it's just well" he trailed off into silence, having no idea how to breach a subject like this. It was so embarrassing, and he just knew his overly-enthusiastic friend was going to make a big deal out of it.

Duo pounded on his shoulder again, jumping up on the bed next to him. "Come /on/, Quatre! Lay it on me! Let Shinigami help you!" They both knew that Duo was winning; now it was just a matter of how long they were going to beat around the bush before the shyer pilot gave in and spilled his secret.

Toying absently with one of the buttons on his shirt, Quatre concentrated on avoiding direct eye contact with Duo. "It's well, it's Trowa. Not Trowa exactly, but but my feelings for Trowa. Duo, I have feelings for Trowa." He spoke it in one long breath, and after it had been said he felt strangely cleansed, as if an impossible weight had suddenly been lifted from his shoulders. He looked up to meet the eyes he could feel staring into him, and to his surprise, they were accompanied by a gleeful sparkle and a wide, goofy grin.

"Aw, Quatre, that's just /cute/, man!" Duo ruffled his hair teasingly like a big brother would have, dissolving any fears the smaller pilot had about being rejected for his feelings. "So what are you waiting for, huh?? Go find that boy, and give him what he's got coming!" He bounced happily on the softness of the bed, his braid bopping at delayed intervals behind him.

Quatre's face fell, and he lowered his eyes to his lap again. "That's just it, Duo I don't know what I should do. I don't even know if Trowa likes me, and what if I ruin everyth-"

"I think you're best off using the direct approach with that guy," Duo announced, not bothering to hear Quatre's worries about whether or not his would-be suitor returned his feelings. In his optimistic mind, his friend's rejection wasn't even a possibility. "He doesn't seem like the type that dinks around a whole lot." 

Quatre frowned. "The direct approach?"

"Yeah! Just walk up to him, and plant a big wet one right on his lips. Then, bang! You'll know!"

Blushing instantly at the suggestion, Quatre shook his head emphatically. "No, I could never do that" Of course, somewhere deep down it sounded like an absolutely delicious idea, but he knew it was just too risky.

"Why not?" Duo looked genuinely puzzled; everyone was capable of kissing, weren't they?

Quatre blushed even harder, almost achieving a deep shade of purple. "Well for starters, I don't know how, and besides, I--"

"What?!? You don't know how to /kiss/?!?! Aw Quatre, you'd better be kidding here" Duo leapt off the bed, and stood face to face with the blonde seated before him. He looked ready to tackle the smaller boy, if necessary. 

"Well, I--I've never really done it before" The sudden shift in conversation topics caught Quatre off guard, and he stuttered all over his words as he tried to regain his composure.

Duo flung his hands up in exasperation. "You amaze me, Winner. Only you. Besides, it's not like it's that /hard/, anyway" He trailed off into silence, and after a brief pause his eyes suddenly lit up with what was obviously some brilliant idea. "I know!"

Quatre peered up at him hesitantly, waiting for him to continue.

"I can teach you!" The chestnut-haired boy grinned at the blonde expectantly, as if waiting for the affirmation that this was indeed the greatest plan he'd ever had.

The boy seated on the bed looked puzzled for a moment, before his eyes grew impossibly wide and round with understanding. "Oh Duo, I don't really think that's such a good id--"

"Here's what we'll do. You just sit there, and I'll show you what a good kiss is supposed to feel like. Then, you'll know exactly how to do it to Trowa. Okay?" 

He was so matter-of-fact about the whole thing, that it almost made Quatre's head hurt. He made a small, pitiful face as one final plea to the braided boy, before his bit his lip and slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Well, if--if you really think this is the best way, Duo, I--I guess it's"

"Atta boy," Duo said with a conspiring smile, slapping Quatre on the back. "Now just sit still, and we'll get this show on the road." 

Quatre's heart began thundering wildly in his chest, and a million thoughts raced through his head. Was Duo /really/ going to do this? Did he even want Duo to be his first real kiss? What was he supposed to do with his hands? What if he was no good at it? Would there be any hope for him, if he /was/ awful? Was Duo going to tell anyone else about th--

His frantic train of thought was interrupted, as he felt a palm clutch softly to either side of his face. He lifted his head at their guidance, and found his friend's vivid gaze only inches from his own face. "Close your eyes," Duo instructed, smiling slightly and sounding gently amused. He seemed to appreciate how nervous Quatre must be, holding off on any further teasing for the moment.

Looking even more terrified Quatre obeyed, squinting his eyes shut tightly. Duo grinned to himself at the sheer cuteness of the blonde's naivete, but bit it back quickly. Finally ending the suspense, he brought his lips down on Quatre's, kissing them gently.

The smaller pilot felt his own jaw slacken in surprise at the sensation of lips on lips. It was all warmth and softness, slight touches and gentle curves. He didn't know much what to do with himself at first, so he simply sat and tried to wrap his mind around the slightly fuzzy feeling permeating his brain and body. It felt nice, and he could see why people seemed so anxious to kiss each other all the time, but he couldn't help thinking that it would be so much nicer if Trowa's brown bangs were brushing against his forehead, instead of Duo's

Duo seemed to nudge forward with his head a bit, as if trying to signal Quatre somehow. The blonde felt a tongue tip pushing insistently at his closed mouth and he finally got the hint; he let his lips part slightly so that Duo's tongue could sneak in to touch his own. His long-haired friend seemed to be going for the full effect, burying his fingers in his hair to pull him in close as he now French kissed him. Quatre busied his thoughts with trying to memorize exactly what Duo was doing, but his concentration was broken as he heard a muffled noise across the room and the other half of his kiss jerked away abruptly.

As a shadowed figure standing in the doorway muttered an apology and turned to make a hasty retreat, Quatre noted with horror a telltale swoosh of dark hair covering the face. It was Trowa! In his shock desperate words tumbled from his lips, and he heard Duo yelling their fellow pilot's name to no avail. The door slammed forcefully, and Quatre turned frantically to Duo, trying not to wring his hands. 

"Duo, what now!" He could feel that his own face was twisted with visible pain, but Duo looked calm to a point that made his smaller comrade want to choke him.

"Well, Q, go after him!" He rolled his eyes, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. When Quatre still continued to stare at him with his wide-eyed, stupid expression, he grabbed his arm and yanked him roughly off the bed. "C'mon, go! The timing is perfect!"

Duo was right, Quatre decided. They might as well settle this thing once and for all, now that Trowa was probably under the impression that he was involved with someone else. However Trowa felt, he was sure he couldn't stand it a second more: he knew more than ever which pilot he truly wanted, and he was going to do everything he could to have him.

***

Quatre caught up with him at the front door, where he was headed to jump on his motorcycle and just ride until he ran out of gas. He couldn't stand to face the blond boy now, and the thought of having to smile casually as he was fed some perfectly reasonable explanation made his insides clench violently. He didn't want to know /why/ they were kissing; it was bad enough that he had to see it at all. He just wanted to escape.

"Trowa!" Quatre called out to him, breathless.

The brunette winced, not bothering to hide it from his love. "I'm sorry, Quatre. I didn't mean to interrupt anything. You two take all the time you need."

"No, no, it's not that i-it's--"

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about this, if that's what you and Duo prefer."

"No!" Quatre almost yelled the word, and in the next instant looked shocked at the volume of his own voice. Trowa blinked at him, curious at the boy's intensity, but remained silent. "I-I mean, it's not what you think, with Duo."

Trowa's heart constricted painfully, as he saw the anguish spilling from the blonde's aquamarine eyes. He would do anything to keep this boy standing before him from hurting, even if it meant sacrificing his own wish. "Really, Quatre if you and Duo have found something, you should just be happy. If you don't want me or the others to know about it, that's understandable. But you don't owe me any explanations." He turned to reach for the doorknob, when Quatre suddenly advanced on him, backing him against the door and reaching up to grab his face with his small hands.

Before Trowa even knew what was happening, he felt the hands pulling him down toward the cherub face and lips landing firmly on his own. He gasped; could this really be happening? Only moments before he'd witnessed this very scene, but this time it was Quatre doing the ravenous mouth explorations instead of Duo. Was it just a dream? Rather than linger too long on the thought, Trowa wrapped his arms around his angel's waist and kissed him back, fiercely. All the repressed emotions inside him flowed out through his skin, heating it with passion and leaving it impossibly sensitive to every shift of breath and clothing against it. He had never felt so alive, so real, and yet his mind fogged with the thought that it had to be a joke, some cruel trick of his subconscious. These couldn't possibly be Quatre's soft lips but still even if it /was/ a dream, at least he could ensure that it would be a pleasant memory in the morning

The sharp crack of applause stabbed through the haze of hot breath and heavy sighs, and Trowa jumped away suddenly as though he'd mistakenly put his lips on the burner of a stove. Duo was leaning against the wall several feet away, clapping and smiling impishly at the two of them.

Quatre only blushed, but Trowa's eyes widened in horror. What had he done? Even if he hadn't been the one to start it, what had he allowed to happen? "I-I'm sorry Duo I didn't mean--" 

The braided boy laughed enthusiastically. "Tro-man! Come on! Don't tell me you're as dense as blondie here!"

"Umm"

Quatre reached out to grab his hand, looking up at him earnestly. "I was trying to tell you, Trowa there's nothing going on between Duo and me."

"Then" He knew he'd never sounded so silly and inarticulate in his life, but he was so confused that words were beginning to fail him altogether.

The blonde shifted uncomfortably, and Duo smacked a palm to his forehead in exasperation. "Geez, you guys! Do I have to do /everything/ for you?" He strode up where the two of them were standing, and continued. "I was teaching our friend here how to kiss, Trowa. That's all."

Not trusting his voice, Trowa looked once again to Quatre, who was turning several impressive shades of red. The smaller boy was still gripping his hand tightly, and the realization of the touch brought a little color to his own normally pale cheeks.

His fellow pilot smiled shyly, but turned oceanic eyes up to him. "Duo was teaching me because well, because I wanted to kiss /you/." He felt his eyebrows arch up in surprise as Quatre continued. "Trowa, I"

Finally something clicked inside him, and he found his reclusive courage. It was time for him to stop standing there so dumbly, and do something about this. Lifting his hand, he placed fingertips against the rosy lips trying to speak, smiling the tiniest of smiles as he did so. "Me too, angel. For as long as I can remember."

Noticing in the dim light the satisfied sparkle in Duo's eyes, Trowa leaned forward and brushed the ghost of a kiss across the blonde's parted lips. It was sweet and chaste, but filled with the promise of things to come. Quatre glowed with happiness, giving the hand he still held a small squeeze.

Duo flipped his braid smugly, turning to stroll into the kitchen with a cocky spring to his step. "I'll assume you boys can handle things from here, okay?" Looking over his shoulder to see the pair disappear together down the hall, he felt sure it was a pretty safe assumption.

~*~


End file.
